Breakdown of tomodati ha ongaku wo kikinagara pasokon de sigoto wo simasu.
はha
topic particle
をwo
direct object particle
友達tomodati
friend
でde
means particle
音楽ongaku
music
聞くkiku
to listen
パソコンpasokon
computer
仕事 を するsigoto wo suru
to work
〜ながら〜nagara
while
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Questions & Answers about tomodati ha ongaku wo kikinagara pasokon de sigoto wo simasu.
Why is the particle は used after 友達 instead of が?
は marks the topic: As for my friend…. It sets up what or whom you’re talking about. If you used が, you’d simply identify the subject in a neutral statement (My friend is doing that), whereas は puts emphasis on 友達 as the topic of discussion.
Why does 音楽 take を while パソコン takes で?
- を marks the direct object of a transitive verb: 音楽を聞く = listen to music.
- で marks the place or instrument/means:
• Place: 図書館で勉強する = study in the library
• Instrument/means: ペンで書く = write with a pen
So パソコンで仕事をします means do work by/using a computer.
What role does ～ながら play in 音楽を聞きながら?
～ながら attaches to the -masu stem of a verb (聞き-). It means while doing X, indicating two actions are carried out simultaneously by the same subject. Here it means while listening to music.
Can I use the -て form instead, as in 音楽を聞いてパソコンで仕事をします? What’s the difference?
- 聞いて…します simply links two actions, sometimes implying sequence (e.g. listen and then work) or just a loose connection.
- 聞きながら…します explicitly means both actions happen at the same time. If you want to stress simultaneity, use ～ながら.
Why is the verb します in polite form and not the dictionary form する?
Japanese has speech levels.
- します = polite present/future form of する, used in formal or neutral conversation.
- する = plain form, used in casual speech, writing diaries, or among close friends.
Can I drop を in 仕事をします and say 仕事します?
In casual spoken Japanese, dropping を is common (仕事します). However, in polite or written Japanese, it’s more natural to include を for clarity: 仕事をします.
Does ～ながら allow different subjects for each action? For example, can my friend listen while I work?
No. The subject must be the same for both verbs in a ～ながら construction. In 友達は音楽を聞きながらパソコンで仕事をします, 友達 is doing both listening and working. To express different subjects, you need separate clauses or other conjunctions.
Is it okay to reorder the sentence, like パソコンで仕事をしながら音楽を聞きます?
Japanese word order is flexible, but adverbial phrases like ～ながら usually appear right before the main verb. Swapping them can sound unnatural or change the nuance. Standard order:
Topic → ～ながら clause → location/instrument (で) clause → object → main verb.
I’ve seen the verb “listen” written as 聴く for music. Why is 聞く used here?
Both 聞く and 聴く can mean “to listen.”
- 聴く often emphasizes listening carefully to music or a broadcast.
- 聞く is more general (hear/listen).
In everyday sentences, 聞く is perfectly acceptable, even for music, so it’s used here.